Wool-washing machine



(No Model.)

M. MUSGREAVE.

WOOL WASHING MAGHNB. 4 No. 554,289. Patented Peb. 11-,` 1896).

IN VEN TOI?? WITNESSES: um

MARK MUSGREAVE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

wooL-WASHI'NG lvfAopHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,289, dated February11, 1896. Application tiled August Z3, 1-894. Serial No. 521,077. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, MARK MUsGRnAvE, of

ment in "Wool Vashin g or Securing Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wool washing or scouring machines; and itconsists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in thefollowing specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a wool-washingmachine in which the Wool iscarried through the liquor in a suitable tank by means of a travelingconveyer provided with depending rakes or frames which 'act upon thewool.

It is the object of my invention to produce a machine of this characterof compact, simple and economical construction, and to enable the woolto be more positively and easily carried through the liquor anddelivered to the squeeze-rolls. For this purpose I employ a series ofrakes loosely connected or hinged to a traveling conveyer, so as to benormally free to depend by gravity, in combination with a guide arrangedalong the tank and extending to a point adjacent to the squeeze-rollsadapted to act upon the rakes and lock them with reference to theconveyer while they are traveling through the tank,and until they reachthe squeeze-rolls, so that they will act positively upon the wool tomove it along. lVhen the rakes pass from the guide they are free toswing into a vertical position by gravity and to remain in that positionas the conveyer travels. The rakes remain rigid until they deliver thewool to the squeeze-rollers and then are released and swing back into avertical position or beyond a vertical position. The rakes thus remainrigid until they deliver the wool directly tothe squeeze-rollers, and asthey are released and allowed to hang vertically or substantially soafter they have delivered the Wool to the rolls they may move closer tothem and will not carry the wool beyond the rolls. As the rakes hangvertically as the conveyer passes about the guides instead of projectingradially, as would be the case if they were rigidly connected with theconveyer, it is apparent that a shorter and more compact machine may beemployed. lliyinvention also embraces novel constructions andcombinations, which are hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

I shall now refer to the accompanying drawlings for the purpose of moreparticularly de- C O are the squeeze-rollers at the delivery end ofthetank. In the drawings I have shown the rear end of the diaphragm Binclinin g upward to the squeeze-rollers.

D are a pair of endless chains which carry the rakes E and travel aboutsuitable pairs of spocket-wheels F F F2 F3, of which preferably onepair, as F, is operated to drive the chain. The chains travel for aportion of their length over the tank A so as to submerge the rakes E inthe liquor.

The rakes E are pivotally connected with the chains D, as by the lateralstuds d carried by links of the chainsand engaging holes g in elongatedheads or blocks G on the ends of the upperportion of the rakes, or viceversa. These blocks or heads G are adapted to enter ways or guides I-I,arranged along the ytop of the tank A and adapted to lock the rakesagainst movement on their pivots d, whilethe blocks are travelingthrough ways Il. I prefer'to make the ends of the blocks or heads withcurved or inclined faces 7L, so as to reduce friction and permit theblocks to easily enter the ways and turn through the bend therein, wherethe Ways incline up to correspond with the inclination of the diaphragmB to the rollers C C. i

The front entrance to the ways II I-I is preferably enlarged, as atf, toreceive the heads G.

The rakes E are provided with the depending portions or fingers I, whichextend down close to or in contact with the face of the diaphragm B. Asthe blocks or heads G enter the Ways I-I and become locked againstmovement on their pivots, the rakes are held fixed IOO and remain sountil the blocks G pass out of the ways Il at the rear end of themachine. The rakes are thus locked while they travel over the diaphragmB, and they will carry the wool over the diaphragm and deliver it to thesqueeze-rollers C C. When the blocks G pass from theV ways H the rakesbecome unlocked and are permitted to swing upon their pivots, and tohang freely until they again enter the forward ends of the ways. Thenreleased the rakes may assume a position slightly to the rear of avertical line. The rakes may pass freely between the pairs ofspocket-wheels F F P2 F3, which are preferably supported on independentbrackets on each side of the machine. It will be observed that as therakes pass through the inclined portion of the ways .they are thrownfrom a vertical position so that their ends travel in an upwardlyinclining position to the squeezerolls, thus carrying the wool out ofthe liquor and delivering it directly to the rolls. This movement of therakes directly to the bite of the rolls C C ispossible because the rakesare released and permitted to assume a more or less vertical positionimmediately after they have reached the rolls() C.

The release of the rakes E E, so that they assume a more or lessvertical position, prevents them from carrying the wool beyond thesqueeze-rolls, asthe wool will slip oif the iingers I Iby gravity.

By supporting the rakes so that they will swing back slightly beyond thevertical line, the freeing of the rake-fingers from such portions ofWool as may tend to adhere may be more effectively accomplished.

I have shown the upper squeeze-roller C carried in spring-pressedbearings c depressed by a lever or leversJ restingupon the bearings cand having its free end connected by an adjustable rod K withaleaf-spring L on the frame of the tank A. The upper end of the rod Kpasses through the lever J, and a spring M is interposed between theupper end of the rod and the lever. The tension of the spring M may beregulated by a nut II on the rod.

The sprocket-wheels F may be driven in any suitable manner. I have shownthem operated from a shaft O through sprocketwheels P P', chain P2 andpairs of gears P3 P4.` The gears P3 may be carried on a common shaft p,and may each gear with agear P4 connected with one of thesprocket-wheels F.

Q is asubmerging-rolier journaled over the diaphragm Bin the front ofthe tank, which is extended beyond the line of travel of the chains D.This submerging-roller is provided with radial wings R curved in theopposite direction to the direction of rotation of the roller. Theroller Q vis journaled so that the wings or fingers will pass into theliquor in the tank. front end of the tank is depressed by the wings orfingers R, and is submerged in the liquor. Thus the concave face of thewings The woolwhich is thrown into the acts upon the wool and the woolwill not adhere to the win gand be lifted from the liquor as the samerises, but will freely slip from the concave face. The wings R are showncontinuous across the length of the roller.

The construction and use of the submerging-roller are not material to myinvention.

The wool which is submerged by the roller Q falls upon the diaphragm andrests there until it is taken by the rakes E. It is then carried forwardupon the diaphragm through the squeeze-rools C C, as has been described.

The roller Q may be rotated in any suitable manner, as byasprocket-ehain S driven by a sprocket-wheel T on the journal of thesprocket wheel F2 and passing about a sprocket-wheel T on the shaft ofthe roller Q.

The details of construction shown may be varied without departing fromthe invent-ion.

Having lnow described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wool washing lor scouring machine, the combination with the tankand squeezerolls, of a traveling conveyer moving over the tank, a seriesof loosely-supported depending rakes carried by the conveyer, arake-lockin g guide arranged along the tank and extending up to a pointadjacent to the squeeze-rolls adapted to lock the loosely-supportedrakes against movement with reference to the conveyer while they arebeing carried up to the squeeze-rolls, whereby the rakes. may be causedto convey the material in the tank directly to the squeeze-rolls, andmay then be released or unlocked from the guides.

2. In a wool washing orscouring machine, the combination with the tankand squeezerolls, of a guide within the tank extending up to thesqueeze-rolls, a traveling conveyer movingl over the tank, Aa series ofloosely-supported depending rakes carried by the conveyer, a guidearranged along the tank and extending up to a point adjacent to thesqueeze-rolls and over the guide within the tank leading to thesqueeze-rolls, adapted to lock the loosely-supported rakes againstmovement with reference to the conveyer while they are being carried upto the squeezerolls, whereby the rakes may be caused to convey thematerial in the tank directly to the squeeze-rolls, and may then bereleased or unlocked from the guides.

3. In a wool washing vor scouring machine, the combination with the tankand squeezerolls, of a perforated diaphragm within the tank havingA anupwardly-extending` portion to the squeeze-rolls, a-traveling conveyer,a series of loosely-supported rakes carried by the conveyer anddepending, into the tank when carried over it, and a guide arranged overthe tank to lock the rakes against movement with reference to theconveyer when travelingA over the tank, having an upward extension overthe upward extension of the diaphragm-to the squeeze-rolls, whereby therakes are locked by said guide up to the point IOO IIC)

of delivery to said squeeze-rolls and are then unlocked and permitted toswing into normal position under the action of gravity.

4. In a Wool Washing and scouring maehine the combination of a tank, apair of squeezerollers at one end of the tank, a perforated diaphragmWithin the tank below the liquorlevel and inolining upward at one endabove the liquor-level to tl1e.squeeze-rolls, a conveyer arranged totravel over the tank provided with a series of ldepending rakes looselysupported by the oonveyer at their upper ends, and a guide arrangedalong the tank above the perforated diaphragm and having anupwardly-inelinng portion extending above the upWardly-nolining portionof the diaphragm, adapted to aot upon the rakes and look them againstmovement with reference to the oonveyer While they are traveling overthe perforated diaphragm and until they deliver the Wool to thesqueeze-rolls.

In testimony of which invention l have hereunto set my hand.

MARK MUSGREAVE. Titnesses z ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER,

' C. H. NEWCOMB.

